Children and families practitioner jobs in Manchester

Family Support Worker - Greater Manchester

Maternity Cover up to 12 months

£24,000 pa + Company Car and benefits (including 25 days annual leave, reward scheme and pension)

Greater Manchester region

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity is going through an exciting time where we are growing, with the aim of reaching more families in need.

About the role:

We are looking to appoint a Family Support Worker for a fixed term period of up to 12 months, on a full-time basis (35 hours per week), to deliver a high-quality family support service as part of our Greater Manchester Care Team.

Reporting to the Family Support Manager of the Greater Manchester Care Team and working in partnership with health, education and social care professionals, you will take responsibility for providing needs-led emotional, social and practical support to families where a child/young person has a life threatening or terminal illness.

Having worked in a demanding and emotional environment you have a genuine interest in building supportive relationships and helping people; and having provided bereavement support to families, you understand processes of grief, loss and change - and how best to help others deal with its impact.

What we’re looking for:

· An experienced child health, education or social care professional - applications will be particularly welcome from those who have worked in a community environment and those with a recognised qualification in education, health or social care

· A warm, inclusive approach to achieving goals quickly and correctly

· Practiced in child protection, information sharing and the rules around data protection - you lead by example, drawing on your own professional experience and working within established guidelines

· Practical and people-oriented - you will thrive working at a fast pace whilst maintaining accuracy and be a confident user of IT (including MSOffice)

· A persuasive and open communicator - you will work collaboratively with your team and volunteers to ensure delivery of a high-quality service and support fundraising colleagues by writing case studies and family updates

· A practical knowledge of diversity issues affecting children, young people and their families – aware that being responsive to others needs and concerns, is essential.

What we offer:

We are a Best Companies Two-Star rated organisation, an outstanding place to work! We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, including:

· Flexible working hours to balance home and working life

· Employee Assistance Programme with access to remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, resources to support your mental health and financial wellbeing, as well as a 24/7 helpline via Help@Hand

· Company car for front line care posts

· 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays – rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 5 years and 30 days after 11 years, with an additional 5 years to use in your 10th or 20th year of service (pro rata for part time)

· Time off in Lieu

· Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme, and other rewards and discounts

· Bike to work, season ticket loan and payroll giving schemes

· A recommend a friend recruitment bonus scheme

· Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year

· Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%

· The option to buy/sell annual leave, as well as additional leave for your birthday, wedding/civil ceremony and an extra half day off for Christmas shopping

· Robust training and development programmes to support your learning and growth

As part of our learning and development Anne Harris Skills Development Programme, we aim to provide a high level of training and development opportunities for all staff, so you are able to perform to the best of your ability, achieve individual and team objectives aligned to Rainbow Trusts strategic plan, supporting staff to be their best and feel a valued member of a high performing organisation.

Our Family Support Teams are given the opportunity to complete a number of diverse training courses in their first 12 months, including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Makaton, introduction to play, drawing and talking training.

The programme aims to provide a building block for you to individually tailor your own learning and development needs.

About us:

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity enables families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness to make the most of time together, providing expert, practical and emotional support, where they need it for as long as it is needed. For families living with childhood illness, time is everything. Right now, there are too many families coping alone with no support, no time to think, no time to make memories and no time for each other. We believe that no family should go through this alone, so we are here to change that.

How to apply:

Please visit our website and apply online.

Please disclose on your application form if you have used AI for any part of your job application.

Interviews will take place at our Greater Manchester Care Team office with the dates to be confirmed. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful. If you require any adjustments during the interview process, please let us know.

There will be a requirement for flexible working and a full current driver’s licence to accommodate team and family need. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be required for this post.

Rainbow Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.

Rainbow Trust is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Tameside Neurodiversity Hub

Senior Navigator Role

Are you passionate about neurodivergent children and young people and their families having the right support, at the earliest point?  We are proud to be developing and delivering the Tameside Neurodiversity Hub and are seeking a highly skilled and experienced practitioner to be the senior navigator.

To be successful, you will need to have the following:

• Significant experience in supporting children with neurodiversity.
• The ability to ensure the 'voice' of the child and family is central, enabling lived experience to create change.
• Excellent team working skills. You will work as part of a service that covers the whole of Greater Manchester.
• The ability to collaborate with and confidently present information to a range of people including the delivery of workshops.
• Excellent communication skills, enabling communication with children, young people, families and professionals.
• Robust safeguarding knowledge and good recording skills.
• A car available for work with business insurance.

There are lots of opportunities to develop your skill set, knowledge and career progression going forward. 

This service is dynamic, no two days are the same, we work flexibly to meet the needs of the children and families so whilst there is a Monday to Friday working pattern you will be working some evenings and if required occasional weekends. In return you will manage your hours so may benefit from later starts or earlier finishes.

Barnardo's has a generic job description/person specification. When completing your application please provide examples in your application in the context of the advert and additional information sheet as to how you meet the requirements of the role.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Head of Communications to come and join our team providing maternity cover until January 2027 during a period of organisational growth.

Location – This role is mainly working from home with one day a week in our London office (usually a Monday). Occasional travel to our other programme sites (currently Stoke-On-Trent, Redcar, Middlesbrough and Scotland) will also be required.

Salary – Circa £60,000

Employment Type – Fixed term until January 2027, 35 hours per week

Team – Communications team

About you

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate the following:

· Strong experience in strategic communications, ideally within a start-up, growing, complex or place-based organisation.

· Experience setting up and embedding communications functions, including establishing foundations and building approaches as priorities evolve.

· Significant experience in people leadership, including developing others and building a strong, collaborative working culture.

· Experience influencing senior stakeholders and working with an SLT, including supporting government policy, media, funding and influence related activity.

· Strong content, storytelling and copywriting expertise and the ability to communicate a clear organisational narrative.

About the role

The responsibilities of this role include:

· Overseeing and ensuring the delivery of national and local communications strategies and plans, including national content activity and priority local campaigns and stakeholder engagement.

· Leading the set-up and embedding of new place-based communications functions.

· Leading and overseeing the planning and delivery of Thrive at Five’s 2026 Impact Report, communications relating to evaluations and learning, and our fifth-year anniversary, working closely with evaluation and fundraising colleagues.

· Maintaining and strengthening relationships with key national and local stakeholders in line with our communications strategy and goals.

· Providing professional and operational leadership and coaching to the wider Communications team to ensure they deliver to a high standard.

About us

Thrive at Five is a national charity focused on giving every child the best possible start in life. We know the foundations for life and learning are built in the earliest years, from pregnancy to five. By working alongside families, communities and local partners, we help build stronger, more connected support for parents, so more children get what they need to thrive and reach a good level of development by age five.

Thrive at Five is a relatively young organisation but with an already strong national and political profile, having been called out in Parliament for our ways of working in Stoke-on-Trent and invited to be interviewed at the 2025 Civil Society Summit by the Secretary of State for Education. We have grown rapidly in our first four years, with a growing team of nearly 40 across the country. 2026 will be a year of further growth and milestones for the charity as we celebrate our fifth-year anniversary and expand into our third and fourth regions. This will involve recruiting for a new teams, establishing our programmes and beginning to co-design and implement our work in partnership with communities.

About our benefits

· Pension contributions – We will contribute 3% and you can contribute 5% towards your pension through NEST.

· Hybrid working with one anchor day a week in our central London office near to Victoria train station, coach station and underground.

· 25 annual leave days per year plus bank holidays.

· In addition to your laptop and phone provided by us, you can also receive a £100 contribution towards your home-working set up.

· £100 contribution towards your professional body membership

Please note that as this role is subject to a successful Basic Level Disclosure check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). If you have any unspent convictions, but wish to apply for this role, please advise us in your application. The successful candidate will also need to provide satisfactory references and current right to work in the UK.

To apply for this role, please submit your cover letter and CV by following the Apply Now button. Applications will be reviewed and shortlisted as they are received. While the closing date is midnight on Wednesday, 18 February 2026, we may close the vacancy earlier if a suitable candidate is identified.

Senior Policy Officer

We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We’re determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. We support and fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.  

We currently have around 95 staff based in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’re in a privileged position to be able to grow our staff team to deliver our ambitious strategy, On a mission. There are huge challenges facing bowel cancer patients across the UK and our community needs us now more than ever. We’re building a strong and united team to bring us closer to a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer. 

Senior Policy Officer Job Description

Do you want your policy work to genuinely change lives? As a Senior Policy Officer, you’ll lead a defined area of our UK-wide policy work, shaping evidence-based positions that influence decisions across health systems and government. You’ll have the autonomy to own your brief, the space to think strategically, and the support of an expert, collaborative team who care deeply about impact. Your work will directly affect people living with bowel cancer.

This role is ideal if you’re an experienced policy professional who enjoys tackling complex problems, building trusted relationships, and turning evidence into action. You’ll work closely with policymakers, clinicians and sector partners, represent us in high-level forums, and help steer how we respond to fast-moving health policy developments. In return, we offer flexibility, trust, and a strong values-led culture and the chance to be part of a growing organisation delivering an ambitious strategy at a critical moment.

If you’re motivated by purpose, confident in your judgement, and ready to step into a role with real responsibility and influence, we’d love to hear from you.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and at Bowel Cancer UK we are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Successful candidates may be subject to either a satisfactory basic, standard or enhanced DBS check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) dependent upon the role.

Head of Health Information and Education

We’re the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. We’re determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer. We support and fund targeted research, provide expert information and support to patients and their families, educate the public and professionals about the disease and campaign for early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care.  

We currently have around 95 staff based in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’re in a privileged position to be able to grow our staff team to deliver our ambitious strategy, On a mission. There are huge challenges facing bowel cancer patients across the UK and our community needs us now more than ever. We’re building a strong and united team to bring us closer to a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer. 

Job summary for Head of Health Information and Education

The Head of Health Information and Education is a key role at Bowel Cancer UK, leading the delivery of our health information and health professional education. We currently provide high quality support, but we know we need to do even more, reach more people and have an even greater impact.

The Head of Health Information and Education will, alongside our Clinical Lead, lead the development and delivery of our services in this area. This is a pivotal role with key areas of focus:

• Drive innovation in health information.
• Drive innovation in the content and delivery of health professional education.
• Expand our reach and accessibility to ensure no one faces bowel cancer alone.
• Build strong partnerships with stakeholders.
• Champion technology and digital solutions to enhance service delivery.

You’ll work closely with the Director and the Services Leadership team to set strategic direction and ensure our services are impactful, inclusive, and evidence based.
 

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and at Bowel Cancer UK we are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Successful candidates may be subject to either a satisfactory basic, standard or enhanced DBS check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) dependent upon the role.

New Partnerships Manager (Hybrid)

Bring your energy, creativity and expertise—and help us secure the partnerships that give young people the safe future they deserve.

Location: Tyneside, Manchester or London

Salary: £40,456 FTE (Pro rata), £43,456 FTE (Pro rata, Inclusive of Manchester weighting), £43,956 FTE (Pro rata Inclusive of London Weighting)

Closing Date: 15 February, 2026

Employment Type: Permanent

Hours per week: 22.5

About the Role

Join us as New Partnerships Manager (Part-time) and help unlock life‑changing support for young people facing homelessness. You’ll drive new corporate income, ignite fresh opportunities and champion the powerful impact of our work nationwide.

In this dynamic role, you’ll build and convert a strong pipeline of high‑value prospects, delivering standout pitches and securing 5‑ and 6‑figure partnerships across a range of sectors. You’ll craft compelling propositions, influence senior decision‑makers and bring bold new ideas to our fundraising strategy.

Working closely with teams across Fundraising & Communications, you’ll represent Depaul UK with confidence—leading meetings, inspiring supporters and ensuring our messaging lands with clarity and purpose. If you’re ambitious, relationship‑driven and thrive on turning opportunities into major wins, we want to hear from you.

This job is offered as a part-time (22.5 hours per week) permanent role with hybrid work arrangement.

 In this role, you will:

· Identify and cultivate high‑value corporate prospects to grow new business income.

· Secure 5‑ and 6‑figure multi‑year partnerships through strong pitching and negotiation.

· Develop tailored proposals, presentations and partnership propositions that inspire action.

· Build and manage a clear, accurate new‑business pipeline using Raiser’s Edge NXT.

· Represent Depaul UK at external meetings, pitches and events with professionalism and confidence.

· Collaborate across fundraising and communications teams to deliver aligned, compelling partnership messaging.

· Create innovative partnership products that unlock new income and deepen corporate engagement.

· Strengthen long‑term relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support strategic growth.

About You

You are a confident, driven fundraiser with a strong record of securing high‑value corporate partnerships and generating new business. You craft standout proposals, deliver compelling pitches and build trusted relationships with senior decision‑makers, while proactively managing a clear pipeline and spotting opportunities for innovative partnerships. You bring proven success in winning £50k+ corporate support, representing an organisation externally and working collaboratively to deliver exceptional supporter experiences.

What You’ll Receive

• Tailored training and development
• Flexible working options where suitable
• 26 days annual leave, rising with service
• Family‑friendly leave policies
• Pension scheme with employer contributions up to 7%
• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 GP access
• Discounts across retail, travel, food, fitness and more
• Cash health plan for you and your family
• Death‑in‑service benefit
• Access to legal and practical support

Safer Recruitment

Depaul UK is committed to fair and inclusive recruitment, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If a role requires it under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, we will carry out the appropriate Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. We only look at information that is relevant to the role, and a criminal record will never be treated as an automatic barrier to employment. All DBS information is handled sensitively, confidentially and in line with the DBS Code of Practice, and we encourage applicants to discuss any concerns with us openly.

About Depaul UK

In the 1980s, high unemployment and steep inflation was contributing to a shocking rise in youth homelessness across London. Thousands of young people were sleeping rough every night, with many areas notoriously dubbed “cardboard cities” due to the visible rise in street homelessness. Appalled by the scenes playing out across the capital, a group of people came together to tackle the challenge head on. Led by Cardinal Basil Hume and Mark McGreevy OBE, in 1989 Depaul UK was born.

What began as a single housing project in North London soon expanded across London, Greater Manchester and the North East of England. Today, Depaul UK provides accommodation, prevention and support services to thousands of marginalised young people across the UK each year.

As our name suggests, the work of Depaul UK has been inspired by St. Vincent de Paul – a man who devoted his life to helping vast numbers of people throughout the 17th century. St. Vincent de Paul’s belief in the intrinsic worth of all people and his commitment to taking bold action remain central to our values today. Depaul UK now forms part of a family of Depaul charities around the world. We each focus on the specific challenges in our own countries, but we’re united by our shared values and mission to end homelessness.

Community Fundraiser – South East (Kent, Surrey or Sussex)​​

​​We are really excited to have welcomed our new Director of Income Generation and Development to Brain Tumour Research this month, a great new start for the new year!​

This is a fantastic time to be joining our ambitious and growing charity and we are keen to share this with likeminded and talented individuals. We currently have an opening for a Community Fundraiser, to be based in the South East region.​

As the Community Fundraiser covering the South East you will play a crucial role in helping the charity meet its strategic plans and objectives, which include campaigning to increase the national investment in brain tumour research to £35 million per year, while fundraising to create a network of seven sustainable Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence across the UK.  Your role will be to generate and grow our income through community fundraising activities, contributing to a regional team target of more than £1.5 million.

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• Do you want to make a difference in one of the most innovative and exciting medical research fundraising charities in the UK?
• Do you live in Kent, Surrey or Sussex?
• Do you have at least one years' experience of working in a professional Community Fundraising position?​

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Have you answered Yes to these questions?

Does this sound like the opportunity to really get 2026 off to an amazing start? ​​

If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we welcome your application.  We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team!​

​​​We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.

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We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.

​

We are really excited to have welcomed our new Director of Income Generation and Development to Brain Tumour Research this month, a great new start for the new year!​

​​This is a fantastic time to be joining our ambitious and growing charity and we are keen to share this with likeminded and talented individuals.​

We currently have an opening for a Community Fundraiser, to be based in the Mid-North Wales and West Midlands region.​​

​As the Community Fundraiser covering Mid-North Wales and West Midlands, you will play a crucial role in helping the charity meet its strategic plans and objectives, which include campaigning to increase the national investment in brain tumour research to £35 million per year, while fundraising to create a network of seven sustainable Brain Tumour Research Centres of Excellence across the UK.​

​​Your role will be to generate and grow our income through community fundraising activities, contributing to a regional team target of more than £1 million.​​

• Do you want to make a difference in one of the most innovative and exciting medical research fundraising charities in the UK?
• ​​Do you live in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire,​Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire or Mid-North Wales?​
• Do you have at least one years' experience of working in a professional Community Fundraising position?​​Have you answered Yes to these questions?​
• Does this sound like the opportunity to really get 2026 off to an amazing start? ​​​

If you are excited to learn more about this position, please take a read through our recruitment pack provided with this advert.​​

If you have the skills and ambition that we are looking for we welcome your application.  We are really looking forward to welcoming a new member to our team!

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We are asking for a CV as the first step but applicants may be asked to provide a targeted covering letter as part of the selection process.  Interviews will be conducted during the application window as appropriate, and will consist of a first interview via MS Teams, progressing, if successful to a face to face second interview, held at our offices in Milton Keynes.​

​We reserve the right to close the application window early and advise candidates to apply in good time to avoid disappointment.​

We are looking for people who share our passion for finding a cure for brain tumours and who have the skills and experience to make a difference. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages. We believe that diversity enriches our organisation and helps us achieve our mission. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can be themselves and contribute to our vision.